Deadly Provenance

Awards: DEADLY PROVENANCE is a 2014 B.R.A.G. Medallion™ Honoree
2014 Finalist for the San Diego Book Awards, Mystery Category.

Mystery and murder surround a Vincent van Gogh painting confiscated by the Nazis and missing since World War II. Digital photographer Maggie Thornhill uses her talents to attempt to authenticate the painting from a 1940s photograph and, in doing so, finds herself following a trail of the lost work of art.

Encountering deception within deception in the high-stakes art world, she peels the layers back to reveal not one, but two killers. Both art experts have killed for the painting. Now one is dead and the other intends to kill Maggie. To stay alive, she reveals that she has the genuine Van Gogh. Now she must protect the precious painting . . . and herself from the killer.

Lynne Kennedy Interviews and Other News

San Diego Union Tribune – On September 6, an article appeared on Kennedy’s hunt for the Van Gogh. Written by columnist Pete Rowe, it actually turned up on the front page, above the fold, with an attractive headline and artwork. Here is a link to the article.

KPBS – Lynne Kennedy had the honor to interview on KPBS Midday Edition with Maureen Cavanaugh on September 4 about her hunt for the missing Van Gogh. Here is a link to the interview.

Latest Art News – Van Gogh painting “Sunset at Montmajour” discovered in Norwegian Attic. Perhaps “Vase With Oleanders” will be next! Here is a link to the article.

“Deadly Provenance” is yet another in Lynne Kennedy’s growing list of outstanding murder mysteries. Asked by a friend to do the seemingly impossible, Maggie Thornhill tries to authenticate a long-missing Van Gogh painting from a photograph of it. When the friend is murdered, Maggie vows to find the killer—and the painting. She soon encounters deception within deception in the high-stakes art world, and worse: people who’ve killed for this very painting, and now plan to kill her. “Provenance” is another triumph for Kennedy, who’s cleverly found a niche in the solving of historical crimes through the use of modern photographic techniques.

– Roger L. Conlee, author of Fog and Darkness and other historical novels.

“DEADLY PROVENANCE is a boiling cauldron of suspense mixing such disparate ingredients as a World War II-era murder, Nazi art confiscation, a forger’s deceit, an art thief’s duplicity, and a modern-day killers’ treachery. Lynne Kennedy masterfully turns up the heat under this lethal blend with her photographer and techno-geek, Maggie Thornhill who seeks justice by wit and digital photography software. The task seems impossible, but she is able to identify a missing Van Gogh from a photograph alone. Maggie’s investigation falls flat when her friend Ingrid, granddaughter of the prime suspect and member of the infamous Nazi organization responsible for the seizing European masterpieces, is murdered. Determined, Maggie heads to Paris convinced she has the recipe to find both the lost Van Gogh and the killer. In Paris, she finds a bowlful of deceit, but has discovered the ingredients. Still, this batter is not baked. When a forged Van Gogh comes to light, its owner is murdered. DEADLY PROVENANCE is a veritable layer cake of deception in the high-stakes art world. Maggie frosts the cake by revealing she possesses the genuine Van Gogh in hopes of luring the killer to her. Just try to put this book down.”